The first set of 36 trains will be used for operations on the Koyambedu-Alandur stretch by early next year.
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B
The Chennai Metro Rail will be equipped with all the trains required for operations from Poonamallee to Light House — corridor 4 of the upcoming Phase II network — by next week.
The 118.9-km Phase II network requires 138 three-coach trains. These were ordered in three packages — 36 trains in the first package, 70 trains in the second, and 32 in the third.
Undergoing tests
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) officials said 35 trains are already at the Poonamallee depot, and the last one is expected to arrive in a few days. “Of the 36 trains in this package, 15 are ready for operation between Poonamallee and Vadapalani, a part of corridor 4, and the remaining are at various stages of testing,” an official said.
While these trains were ordered for corridor 4, they can be operated in other corridors as well. “We are planning to begin the services from Koyambedu to Alandur by early next year. After deciding the frequency, trains from this batch will be used on this stretch,” another official said.
The second and third batches of trains are at different stages of production, and will begin arriving one by one next year.
Officials said that once a train arrives, it is subjected to many tests.
“The coaches arrive separately, and after coupling them together, we first check the body of the train. Then we begin safety integrity, static and dynamic tests. Be it air conditioning, brake or train control management system, each train undergoes testing for at least three to four months. Thereafter, we will test the train at 40 kmph on the test track, then take it to the viaduct, gradually increase the speed, and continue the testing for several weeks,” he added.
Published – September 05, 2026 12:53 am IST
